Just like last year, the third tier of the Extemp Central National Points Race has more tournaments than any other tier. With the Extemp TOC falling into the fourth tier, find out which tournament moved up.
Also, this year there will be a change in how third tier tournaments are tabulated. Instead of points only being given to finalists, students who reach quarter-final and semi-final rounds at these tournaments will also receive points. A breakdown of how points are awarded will be revealed next week.
Tournament #1: The Glenbrooks
Based on its continually high level of competition, the Glenbrooks reappears in the third tier of the National Points Race. Last year Steven Elliott of Lakeville North High School in Minnesota, who finished tenth in last year’s National Points Race and placed fourth at NFL Nationals in International Extemp, won the tournament. Last year’s final round had the unique distinction of having both NFL national champions. Jacob Baker, the International Extemp national champion, placed second and Tyler Fabbri, the United States Extemp national champion, placed fourth. A top three finish at Glenbrooks usually earns an extemper serious consideration for a bid to the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin in January. In a testament to the strength of the tournament, the winner of the Glenbrooks over the last seven years has not failed to semi-final or final at NFL Nationals.
Tournament #2: George Mason University Patriot Games
Extemp Central decided that when comparing extemp fields, the George Mason University Patriot Games tournament last year had one of the strongest extemp fields in the country. Due to the size and strength of its competition the decision was made to move it into the third tier and downgrade the status of the Extemp TOC. The Patriot Games tournament, held during the first weekend in December, keeps growing and allows students to compete in more events than almost any other national circuit tournament. The Patriot Games serves as a last chance tournament for extempers who are on the MBA Round Robin bubble. To prevent double counting, the George Mason University Extemp Round Robin will not be counted into his year’s National Points Race. Last year, Dillon Huff of Southlake Carroll High School in Texas won the Round Robin and the regular tournament.
Tournament #3: The Harvard National High School Invitational Forensic Tournament
Harvard is the biggest national circuit tournament of the second semester. Due to the fact that the tournament breaks to octofinals, it provides a good endurance test for extempers who want a CFL and NFL warmup. Last year, Michael Barton of Regis High School in New York, who finished ninth in the National Points Race and placed fourth at CFL Nationals, emerged victorious. When ForensicsOnline.net used to do tournament rankings, Harvard usually found itself ranked first or second. Three of the last four winners of the Harvard tournament have gone on to win NFL national championships and five of the last seven winners have been finalists at NFL the year they won this tournament.
Tournament #4: CFL Nationals
CFL is a two day marathon, where extempers must compete in eight rounds to win the national championship. Extempers who attend are aware that this national tournament is more delivery centric than NFL because of the judging pool. Although some have e-mailed in that CFL Nationals should be a fourth (and even fifth!) tier tournament, the size of the tournament prevents that. West Coast participation in the tournament is usually hit or miss, but the tournament has done a better job attracting West Coast schools in recent years. Furthermore, although the final rounds of extemp are hit and miss each season, last year’s was strong with National Points mainstays Dylan Slinger, James Mohan, Mirza Germovic, and Meera Sury competing for the national championship.